The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
  • Multicultural Youth Award
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Finance
  • Policies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Banks
  • Non-banks
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • Books
  • Travel & Cuisine
  • Trend
  • Fashion
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
  • Translation Award
Entertainment
  • K-pop
  • K-dramas & Shows
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Performances
  • Asia Model Festival
Sports
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Baseball
  • Other Sports
World
  • Asia Pacific
  • Americas
  • Europe & Africa
  • SCMP
Video
  • On the Spot
  • Feature
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
Community
  • The Korea Times
  • all menu
  • search
  • facebookfacebook
  • twittertwitter
  • youtubeyoutube
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • all menu
  • search
  • facebookfacebook
  • twittertwitter
  • youtubeyoutube
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Mon, December 9, 2019 | 11:27
Manufacturing
‘Korea, US cut secret beef deal‘
한국정부 미국과 밀실합의 했나?
Posted : 2012-04-26 20:25
Updated : 2012-04-26 20:25
Mail
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down

Officials from the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries inspect U.S. beef at a cold storage warehouse in Gonjiam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, following a recent report of the first case of mad cow disease in the United States in five years. / Korea Times photo by Sohn Yong-seok

Lawmaker claims gov’t complied with US demand for softer stance

By Kim Tae-gyu

An opposition lawmaker alleged Thursday that the government promised the United States not to discontinue American beef imports even if a new case of mad cow disease was reported in a secret deal made in 2008.

Rep. Park Joo-sun of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) displayed a copy of a document that Deputy Trade Minister Choi Seok-young sent back home, inquiring how he should respond to a statement by his U.S. counterpart Wendy Cutler.

The document with the serial number “s6929” and written on May 9, 2008, according to Park, included Cutler’s wish to see Korea soften its stance and stop short of slapping a ban on U.S. beef imports if a new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), colloquially mad cow disease, was reported. It was sent around the time Korea resumed imports.

Park says the document showed Cutler took issue with newspaper advertisements of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MIFAFF) printed on May 8, 2008 when the two met.

``Back then, the prime minister’s office promised that Korea would stop imports of U.S. beef if mad cow disease recurred there and posed a health threat to our people,’’ Park said.

``In comparison, MIFAFF pledged to immediately halt imports of U.S. beef as soon as mad cow disease was detected. Cutler was against this and asked Seoul to make its stance clear.’’

He alleged that the Lee Myung-bak administration may have promised not to stop the shipment of U.S. beef.

``We will ask how the incumbent administration replied to Cutler. We suspect that it agreed with the U.S. Then, it might face a huge backlash from the public,’’ Park said.

Earlier this week, the U.S. confirmed its fourth case ever of BSE for the first time in some eight years. It said that a diary cow in central California suffered from the lethal illness.

However, MIFAFF said that it would not stop quarantine inspections of U.S. beef because there was no threat to people’s health.

The disease was found in a cow older than 30 months, the meat of which is not imported to the country. Instead, it intensified the inspection by checking 10 percent of U.S. beef, up from the previous norm of 3 percent.

Cheong Wa Dae also came up with a similar response _ ``In 2008, the Prime Minister’s Office said that it would stop imports of U.S. beef if mad cow disease occurs in the U.S. and becomes a health threat to the people,’’ presidential spokesman Park Jung-ha said.

He added that even though the BSE was found in the U.S., it was unlikely to pose a health threat to Koreans; hence, the country need not halt beef imports

``In 2008, MIFAFF said that it would instantly halt imports of U.S. beef and checking all products here should mad cow disease happen in the United States,’’ Park Joo-sun said.

``However, the ministry is not complying with its own words. Maybe, it does not have the right to do so after promising not to. I will check how the government responded to the U.S. request.’’

When contacted, Depute Trade Minister Choi refused to comment. He did not rebuff the details of the document saying he could not remember the meeting.

BSE is a lethal disease in cattle that can trigger human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), a fatal human brain disorder.

vCJD was first detected in 1995 in the United Kingdom and has claimed many lives worldwide. Korean people’s worries about U.S. beef were mostly over the concerns about contracting vCJD.

The imports of U.S. beef products were prohibited by the Seoul administration in the early and mid 2000s after a BSE case was reported there.

After a years-long ban, Korea resumed imports of U.S. beef in 2008 in the hope of obtaining U.S. congressional approval for a free trade agreement between the two allies.

한국정부 미국과 밀실합의 했나?
최근 한국 정부에서 미국 광우병 발생에도 불구하고 검역중단 조치를 취하지 않은 것에 관해 미국과의 합의 때문에 어쩔 수 없어서 일지도 모른다는 주장이 제기되었다. 무소속 박주선 의원이 26일 공개한 2008년 5월 9일 작성된 문서(시행번호s6929)에 따르면 최석영 당시 외교통상교섭본부 공사는 5.8일 웬디 커틀러 USTR 대표보와 면담을 했다. 최 공사는 당시 한승수 국무총리가 담화문을 발표하게 된 국내 상황을 설명하고 총리 담화문에 대한 공개적 반박을 자제해 주길 요청했다. 당시 총리 담화문은 “광우병이 미국에서 발생하여 국민건강이 위험에 처한다고 판단되면 수입중단 조치를 취할 것”이라고 되어 있는데 반해 농림수산식품부와 보건복지가족부 합동 공고문은 “미측에서 광우병이 발생할 경우 수입이 즉시 중단될 것”이라고 되어 있었다. 미국측은 이에 “총리 담화문 문구는 수용가능하나 농림수산식품부와 보건복지가족부 합동공고문은 수용하기 어려운 바, 한국 정부의 입장을 명확히 해주기 바란다”는 요청을 했고 최공사는 이를 정부에 전했다. 문서에는 우리 행정부가 어떠한 답을 했는지 명시하고 있지 않지만 박주선 의원측은 우리 정부가 미국의 바라는 데로 총리 담화문을 기본입장으로 정해 미국에서 광우병이 발생해도 수입을 중지하지 않을 수 있게 했을 가능성이 많은 것으로 보고 있다. 박 의원은 “정부가 어떤 답을 했는지 그 정보를 공개할 것을 요청할 것이다. 만약 미국측 입장을 그대로 받아들였다면 문제”라고 지적했다. 최석영 현 자유무역협정 교섭대표는 코리아타임스와의 통화에서 “no comment”를 외쳤다. 그 내용을 부정하지 않았지만 오래된 일이라 기억이 나지 않는다는 말도 덧붙였다.
Emailvoc200@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter








 
 
  • numberFirms withdraw from China on worsening business conditions
  • numberKorean tourist injured in unprovoked knife attack in Thailand
  • numberPearl Harbor attack brings war to Korea
  • numberNew NK test escalates tension on peninsula
  • numberSeoul not to issue driver's license to short-term foreign visitors
  • numberGov't seeking to levy taxes on virtual currency
  • number'Son-aldo!': Mourinho salutes South Korean's wonder-goal
  • numberFears renewed on foreign capital exodus
  • numberTrump warns N. Korea not to interfere with his reelection bid
  • number[INTERVIEW] 'Korea's anti-corruption policies a beacon for other Asian countries'
  • Singer Kim Gun-mo embroiled in sexual assault scandal Singer Kim Gun-mo embroiled in sexual assault scandal
  • Korean pop culture producers eyeing Southeast Asia Korean pop culture producers eyeing Southeast Asia
  • Married actresses returning to small screen after childbirth Married actresses returning to small screen after childbirth
  • BTS performs at 2019 KIIS-FM Jingle Ball concert [PHOTOS] BTS performs at 2019 KIIS-FM Jingle Ball concert [PHOTOS]
  • Disney's 'Frozen 2' tops 10 mil. admissions in Korea Disney's 'Frozen 2' tops 10 mil. admissions in Korea
DARKROOM
  • Global climate change: time is running out

    Global climate change: time is running out

  • CA cave fire burns more than 4,300 acres

    CA cave fire burns more than 4,300 acres

  • No money, no hope: South Korea's 'Dirt Spoons'

    No money, no hope: South Korea's 'Dirt Spoons'

  • Hong Kong democrats score historic victory

    Hong Kong democrats score historic victory

  • Halloween

    Halloween

  • About Korea Times
  • CEO Message
  • Times History
  • Content Sales
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Ombudsman
  • hankookilbo
  • Dongwha Group
  • Code of Ethics
Copyright